Of Flight and Fantasy
by vertigenous
Summary: 2 elflings meet each other for the first time and a lasting bond is formed


**Of Flight and Fantasy**

**Title**: Of Flight and Fantasy

**Author**: Vertigenous

**Rating**: G

**Pairing**: OFC/OMC  
**Summary**: 2 elflings meet each other for the first time and a lasting bond is formed

**Warnings**: Un-beta'd  
**Notes**: This little ficlet was written for a dear friend of mine, currently in the throes of love. grin No guessing who she or her baby is in RL.  The idea was to use Middle Earth as a setting. Enjoy Dearie!

Everyday at noon, little Rine would slowly pick her way to the glade and sit under her favourite tree - a little birch. The birch was not yet big enough to shelter a full grown elf. But it would serve its purpose for a little elfling. This day was no different. Holding on to the pieces of scrap parchment her Nana had given her before kissing her and sending her out to play with the other elflings her age, she would lift up the hem of her tunic with her other hand, while she carried a satchel full of charcoal, inks, pencils, paints, and a whole assortment of brushes. She had torn her last good tunic yesterday while climbing a tree to get a better view, and thus, had no choice but to wear her elder brother Erulasto's tunic, even though it was much too big, and was more like a robe for her.

The little elleth looked quite dwarfed under the burden she was carrying, but surprisingly, the elleth did not complain nor seem to mind. Carefully stepping over tree roots and small stones, she picked out a spot ideal for her purpose, and sat down on the grass, carefully spreading her materials about her, ignoring the excited cries of the elflings nearby playing a game of tag.

Little Rine may have been little in years, but had aspirations as large as elves who were already fully grown, and had reached the age of majority many decades past. She had always wanted to be an artist, and knew that she would have to practice and work hard in order that she be accepted into the guild upon attaining the age of majority. Even so, the hard work didn't matter to her. For what was drawing and sketching and painting to her but an expression of what she felt, and a celebration of the fantastical beauty of Arda? She had an artist's eye for beauty, and was often so engrossed in her work that she had ceased to play with all the other elflings her age altogether, reveling instead in the creation of works of art, beauty and fantasy.

Having unpacked and spread her equipment around her, Rine proceeded to lie back and glance at the scence around her with a critical eye. What should she paint or sketch today? Elflings playing tag? The Elanor which bloomed profusely in one corner of the glade? The skyline above the treetops, its blue unbroken but for the little cotton clouds drifting across the sky? Deciding to go with a sketch of the elflings playing, she picked up a piece of charcoal, and was about to roughly sketch the outline of the background the elflings were playing against when black green and brown streaked across her vision, knocked into her and forcing her hand down onto the parchment, marred the parchment with one bold stroke of black.

Irritably, she glanced up, a sharp retort at the tip of her tongue, ready to flay the unfortunate intruder alive with sharpness and sarcasm when she saw a little ellon she had never seen before in a brown tunic and green leggings down on the grass, rubbing his injured behind. All words were forgotten, as she studied the ellon in front of her.

"Who are you?"

The little ellon ceased with his ministrations and glanced up shyly with no small amount of embarrassment at his clumsiness.

"I'm sorry", he shyly offered. "I was going too fast, and didn't see you till it was too late… umm… I hope I didn't ruin anything."

Rine glanced down at the materials which were previously neatly arrayed in order. Said materials were now in total disarray, and one of her pencils had broken into two - not to mention the damage he had inadvertently caused to the parchment she was about to use. Under normal circumstances, Rine would have told the intruder to go away and leave her be after the damage that was caused in no uncertain terms. However, for some reason unknown to her, Rine did not do so. The little ellon fascinated her with his dark colouring, and naturally, she was curious about him. Where was he from? What was he doing here in Mirkwood? And why had she not seen him before? And anyway, Nana had always said that it was only courteous to be polite to strangers. Rine didn't necessarily agree in most cases, but was willing to make an exception and do as Nana bid in this instance.

"Its ok", she said. "Only the pencil's broken, but I can get Ada to sharpen it with his blade again…. So… you haven't answered my question… Who are you?"

"Umm…" he got to his feet, and held out his hands in a sign of greeting. "I am Turelio Erundurion. And Ada, Nana and I came with the wandering companies from Imladris."

And then he rushed out quickly, "I'm really sorry if I spoilt your work and broke your pencil… truly I am… but you see, there was this bumble bee… and he was really big and he was a real beauty, and I was trying to get him and there was a tree root and… and so….." he broke off then and just stared down at his feet. "I'm sorry", he mumbled in a small voice.

Poor Turelio. It was his fourth day in Mirkwood, and he had wanted to make a few friends so badly. Undeniably, he had already made friends with some of the elflings which had moved on from playing tag to playing ball. While they were nice elflings and he generally got along well with them, he personally felt them to be a little boring. After all, how many times could you play ball, or tag, or even tig without tiring of it? He'd much rather get back to his drawings and experiments.

"That's ok." Rine's voice broke his musings. "Like I said, I'll get Ada to sharpen the pencil for me. I'd better get back now though. Nana's baking almond pastries today, and I have to get back early or Erulasto will have finished them all." So saying, she began to bundle everything in her satchel. Rine stood up, satchel slung under one arm, scrap parchment in one hand, and hem of her tunic in the other. She turned, and began to make her way back home. Once again carefully picking her way through tree roots and small stones which littered her way.

"Wait. You didn't tell me your name"

She turned back. "I'm Rine."

"And um… can we be friends?" Turelio looked at Rine hopefully.

"Yes, of course" she said "Although…." She paused and looked at Turelio thoughtfully.

"What?"

"What were you doing chasing a bumble bee in the first place?"

"Oh! That! Well…. Um… I like them! Bumble bees are my favourite creatures in the whole of Arda." He said proudly.

And then he frowned, "Except for birds of course."

"Why?"

"Don't you know?" Turelio gasped " Bumble bees are not supposed to fly you know? My tutor in Imladris said so. Their wings are supposed to be too small for their bodies. But they still fly anyway."

"And birds? Why do you like birds then?" Rine was confused. That poor ellon must be a little daft if he liked bumble bees because they were not supposed to fly but did.

"Why! They fly of course!" Turelio said in a most matter of fact voice.

Rine raised an eyebrow

"Don't you see? Birds and bees are so amazing because they fly! And someday, I shall fly too! I have not figured it out yet. But when I do, I shall be the first ellon to fly high in the sky… like BEES, and BIRDS, and BUTTERFLIES!" he shouted in excitement, as he danced and hopped around, flapping his arms wildly and enthusiastically.

Rine started giggling. Turelio was a most interesting ellon indeed. Imagine flying in the air and flapping your arms like a bird!

"So will I see you tomorrow?" Turelio had stopped his crazy little dance and was back to his shy self. In fact, he seemed a little embarrassed for having been so carried away in showing Rine what he'd always hoped to do.

Rine nodded solemnly. "Of course. We're friends, aren't we?"

"Really?"

Rine nodded once again and smiled.

"Always?"

"Always." Rine whispered, before turning away and making her way home.

Unbeknownst to them, their precious friendship and bond was formed from the very moment those words were uttered, and would continue to flourish well into the years. Always would they be each other's support and comfort. For never will a bond be so strong then a bond bound in fast friendship and love.

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AN: The names given to the OCs in this fic are not randomly chosen, except for Erundurion and Erulasto. The translations are provided by Quenya Lapseparma

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Names:

Rine (Crowned) Stephanie

Turelio (Victorious People) Nicholas

Erundurion (son of Erundur) Erundur translated from the name Abdullah, meaning servant of God

Erulasto (name of God, God listened/heard) Samuel

References:

Elleth female elf

Elanor White Flower

Ellon male elf

Nana mother (informal)

Ada father (informal)


End file.
